Trust - Zutara
by purinsesu-sereniti
Summary: A quick little piece that's set around the time Zuko joins up with Team Avatar- lots of zutara angst.


They had been here before.

They stood across from one another, hands raised, their elemental powers rising all around them; her piercing blue eyes never strayed from his face, her lips pursed in a line, her perfect features twisted with dislike. "I told you, Zuko." Her voice was eerily calm, enough so that it sent chills racing down his spine. "I told you what would happen if he got hurt." She was gripping a hand into a fist, the water around her freezing, sharpening as they hovered around her. "Look at him!" Her voice had escalated, rising to a shouting tone, her voice reverberating around the small cave they resided in. The others all turned to them then, Sokka and Toph and Suki were all gathered around Aang, who lay heavily bandaged after a recent fight. They all still bore their own wounds; Katara could hardly see as she stared across at Zuko, his arms up in a defensive stance.

Zuko felt his heart turnover and a defeated sigh escaped his lips; his arms fell down and the flames dispersed, leaving him before her with somber eyes. She was right. His line of sight fell upon the injured Avatar, who had his own insistence had gone off into a battle they'd not been prepared for. They'd come off on the losing end and all of them, himself included, bore the wounds to prove it. His eyes returned to her face and it was then that he noticed the burn on her cheek, the cut above her eye. She was staring at him as if she could kill him with her stare- and he was worried it truly could. There was nothing for him to say, nothing worth saying anyways. She blamed him for the attack and he didn't blame her in the slightest. She didn't like him, didn't trust him, maybe even _hated_ him. Again, he couldn't really blame her for any of that. While the others had been more or less easy to win over, Katara was next to impossible. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't freeze you and mail you back to the Fire Nation." She spat out the words and he noticed she was favoring her left side, telling him she was more badly wounded than she let on.

Shaking his head, Zuko turned away, his shoulders curving beneath the weight of his guilt. "I don't have one," he said softly, before he turned his back to her, walking immediately out of the cave and into the darkness of the night. The moment he'd gone all the fight went out of her and Katara felt something wash over her… something she couldn't really explain. But she then turned as well, crossing the cave to drop down at Aang's side. She'd bandaged him up on the battlefield but now that they were safe from the enemy, she could heal him. Reaching out her hands, she set to work undoing his wraps, so she could properly heal his burns and other wounds.

Around her, the others had lapsed into silence; Sokka knew better than to talk to Katara when she was like this. Even Toph had sensed that now was not the time to try and change Katara's mind about Zuko. None of them were certain she'd ever accept him. When she had finished with Aang's wounds, she'd moved onto the others, silently treating each of their injuries until the only one left was herself. But it was then that Aang was stirring, and Katara was at his side in an instant. "Hi there," she said with a smile, helping him to sit up as he glanced around at all of their faces. "How do you feel?"

The young Avatar's gray eyes fell upon her sapphire hues and he remained quiet for several long moments. "Where's Zuko?" Of course he had noticed his absence. Katara wilted beneath his gaze but only for a split second; then her eyes were flashing and she was opening her mouth to respond when Aang cut her off. "You need to find a way to get along with him." The younger boy was staring at her, as if daring her to challenge his words. It was not often that Aang got this way- but he knew how important trust and friendship was, especially in a world such as theirs. He knew Katara had it in her heart to forgive Zuko, even if she didn't think so herself. "Where is he?" He asked again, turning to Sokka instead, who gestured towards the mouth of the cave.

 _Damn it,_ she thought to herself, gesturing for him to remain seated. Like an unhappy child, Katara instead rose to her feet and silently exited the cave, knowing she would have to at least _try_ and get along with Zuko… At least until this war was over. Then he could return to the Fire Nation to be the new Fire Lord and she would return to the South Pole and she'd never have to speak to him again.

It was dark and though the territory unfamiliar, it didn't take her long to find Zuko. He was seated beneath a tree, the moonlight barely peaking through its canopy of leaves. At the sound of her approaching footsteps he was up, spinning around with his flames rising around him. "Hey, it's just me," she called out, raising up her own hands in a gesture of appeasement. He squinted and blinked, realizing it was Katara who stood before him. He lowered his hands, the flames extinguishing; she was coming closer, looking uncertain and as if she'd rather be anywhere else than right there. Zuko turned away from her and returned to sitting beneath the tree, leaning up against it's withered old trunk. After a few moments of silence, Zuko heard her footsteps and then she was dropping down beside him without a single word.

They sat side by side in silence for what felt like hours; it wasn't until he shifted, and his burn wounds singed with pain at the sudden movements. She was moving then, turning to face him, though she kept her blue-eyed gaze low and away from his face. Without a word she reached out, taking his arm into her grasp; with one arm beneath his forearm, she used the other to push up his sleeve, revealing to her a good sized burn that spread from the crook of his elbow to nearly his wrist. "Katara-" she was placing her hand, palm side down then against his burn and he winced, until he felt it. The cooling sensation of the water she'd willed to her palm as it began the process of healing the wound. It took only a few seconds and then she pulled her hands way, allowing him to inspect his newly healed arm. "Wow," he murmured, looking at her then back to his arm, unable to help but be impressed by her. "I forgot you can do that." That was a lie. He hadn't forgotten. He'd never forgotten the way it had felt to have her hand against his cheek. He'd never forgotten how warm her skin was or how her heart had beat in time with his. He couldn't forget anything about her, even if he'd tried.

She turned away from him then, leaning back to rest against the tree trunk, her movements slow and he could see the pain flicker over her features. She'd not even healed her own wounds yet? And there it was, that unbelievable amount of passion she held for protecting and caring for the ones she loved. Despite she being more heavily wounded than any of them, she'd taken the time to heal _them_ and then come after him to do the same. Why though…? Why was she doing this for him? "Zuko… I…" Her voice broke into his thoughts and he glanced sideways, to catch a glimpse of her profile moments before she turned to face him. "I can't promise that I can ever trust you," she said, her tone matter-of-fact, her eyes darkening in the moonlight. He winced but nodded, knowing that he deserved whatever onslaught of words she was about to dish out. "But for Aang's sake, I'll try to at least get along." Aang needed a Firebending teacher and she had to somehow try to be the bigger person. It wasn't about how she felt, it was about ensuring the protection of the world and ending the war.

Zuko blinked, his confusion apparent, his mouth falling open with it. "Katara, I…" He shook his head, really unsure of what to say in response to her. One might think of _that's great_ but his brain seemed to have shut off the moment she'd spoken. "I still remember what you said to me that day," he found himself speaking an entirely different set of words instead, each one taking her by surprise as she listened. "I wish I could take it back," he said, so softly that Katara wasn't even certain she'd heard him speak. She bowed her head and said nothing, her dark hair tumbling over her shoulders. When she looked up, he was staring at her and she then saw the cut along his cheek, one she had not noticed previously. Still silent, she reached out her hand, laying it across his cheek; they both felt the spark at the contact and while Katara's eyes widened slightly, she still did not speak. "Thank you." He said quietly, his eyes following her as she rose up, ignoring the pain of her own wounds; she'd take care of those shortly. Giving him a nod, she turned away and was gone into the night, her retreating footsteps leading back to the cave.

Alone once more, Zuko sat back against the tree, his mind whirling with all that had just occurred. Her image was burned into his head, the sound of her voice floating along his every thought. When he himself returned to the cave a while later, he found she was already fast asleep on the ground, the others around her. There was one single space left and it was the one directly beside her. As he slid into his place a thought occurred to him; he could help Katara in a way no one else could.

He knew who had killed her mother.

[ x x x ]

"Katara."

It was early the next morning and she'd gone to the stream to refill her canisters that she kept around her waist. At the sound of his footsteps, she'd not turned, she knew it was him before he even had spoken up. He came to a stop behind her, silent for a moment, waiting for her to turn and face him. She finally spun around, running a hand through the length of her raven locks, pinning him with her intense gaze. "Zuko," she greeted cooly, one hand resting upon her hip, the other falling away from her hair to merely hang at her side. "You're up early."

"I know who killed your mother." The words fell from his lips too fast for him to catch them; he watched as the range of emotions played with her features: confusion, surprise, anger, and maybe even relief. "I can take you to him." She tilted her head, that curtain of dark curls falling over her shoulders, lids falling closed over her blue irises. But then they opened and there was a new look on her face, one he'd never seen before. He knew before she spoke what her answer was going to be.

"Take me."

[ x x x ]

He found her on the dock, just where he had thought he'd find her. She had been off on her own since they'd returned the night before and he wondered if she'd even slept at all. He had told Aang about what happened- the Avatar had been beside himself thinking Katara would have killed the man who killed her mother. When they'd returned, he'd expected someone else to return in her place; but instead she'd gone off without a word, leaving Zuko to give the minor details as to what had happened. He didn't feel it was his place to tell him everything, after all.

He approached quietly, pausing several feet back from where she sat dipping her toes into the water. She turned though, peering at him with her sapphire hues, a small smile toying with her lips. Katara was proving to be full of surprises- her capacity to forgive… it was incredible. And the power she had displayed! He had heard rumors of such a thing called blood bending… but to see it in action? There was no power quite like it in the world. But not only that… Her skills at bending were beyond comprehension. Her movements were graceful, her timing always perfect. He had never witnessed such sheer force before. Their battles from the early days were nothing compared to the power she exhibited now- Zuko could only hope he'd never have to fight her again, because he would surely lose. She was rising up then, coming towards him with a smile still on her lips. "Katara…"

Before he knew what was happening, her arms were coming around him, locking him in her warm embrace. He stiffened, momentarily startled by such an action, but then he relaxed and wound his arms around her slim waist. "Thank you," she whispered into his ear, drawing back only moments later, her hand resting on his shoulder. He found himself to be smiling, his voice lost to him, and so he nodded, watching her as she went on past, the rising sunlight casting her into a crimson and gold glow. And just like that, something new was taking root, a new bond that would change the world.


End file.
